Rapid Radios

[Nemo]

I saw a promo on Fox News this morning regarding Christmas presents and keeping in contact with family during blizzards and floods.

Evaluations please, Gentlemen.  Most all here know a crapton more about radios than I.

Nemo

https://rapidradios.com/?view=abconvert-index-kRWV6bJ1

from cite above

    Description
   
    Nationwide LTE Push to Talk Walkie Talkies set! UNLIMITED RANGE* AND USE! INSTANT Communications.

    100% NO MONTHLY FEES or SUBSCRIPTIONS FEES - EVER!

    5-DAY Battery Life!

    EASY to Use - Sold as a set! Easy for kids and the elderly!

    NO Contracts! Use it ANYWHERE in the USA* with nationwide coverage - NO Delays, No Lag!

    FREE Shipping Anywhere in the USA from our Michigan office.

    NO Programming, Setup or Configuration! Works right out of the box! Turn it on, and talk!

    NO Licenses or Hidden fees required!

    GLOBAL OPTION AVAILABLE FOR WORLDWIDE USE!

[Sir John Honeybucket]

In short, these hitch hike on the LTE data portion of the cell phone network.  If the cell phone network dies, or there is no coverage, these 'radios' fail.  They are using the description 'radio' in a rather deceptive manner.  Not recommended.

- SJH

[pkveazey]

Yep. Honeybucket is telling you the right stuff. People don't really think about it, but cell phones are radios and cell towers are pretty much like a linked repeater system. Those little radios just use the Cellular repeater system and when it goes down, so does those little radios. You are better off just operating your Bao Feng UV5R Handi-Talkie on FRS, MURS, or Marine band. If you aren't able to get enough distance out of that rubber duck antenna, you can always get an SMA to SO239 adapter for $3 and hook it up to an outside base station antenna. My daughter runs her Bao Feng UV5R Handi-Talkie in her car connected to a "Tram" Dual Band magnet mount mobile antenna and she can get about 10 miles range out of it using MURS.

[Nemo]

Seemed a bit too good to be true. 

They do not require a just solar charger to stay good for long term use.  They require a nuke reactor generator to power the entire cell grid.  Somewhat deceptive in their website.

Nemo

[pkveazey]

Yep. There you go. Nemo, I think you've got it figured out. There is a system out there in the world and we Preppers want nothing to do with it.

[Nemo]

Any news around Richmond about how Appalachian power want to build a small nuke facility in Campbell County?

Nemo

[pkveazey]

I've heard some vague sketchy things about a new smaller nuke plant somewhere in rural Viginia. It could possibly be in Campbell County. If it is going to be in Campbell County, they are going to need a water source, and the best water source would be Smith Mountain Lake south of Bedford or possibly the James River near Lynchburg.

[Nemo]

Yes, App Power is going strong to get it built.  They have a couple of thousand acres and the emergency zone / containment zone in case of disaster would be within that property.

But the plan so far is to have operational and generating in no less than 12 years, assuming all approvals go through on their schedule.  There is a fair bit of resistance, just like the data center build plan a month or 2 back.

I was wondering if there was any news on it in Richmond or Tidewater area.  The is lots of coverage here.

Nemo